ESPN Cleveland radio host Tony Rizzo is no stranger to making his voice heard when it comes to the Cavaliers, Guardians, and Browns.
However, for those who might not like what he has to say, the Cleveland native took some time to remind them during Tuesday’s episode of The Really Big Show alongside Aaron Goldhammer.
On Monday, Rizzo didn’t mince words about the Cavaliers’ performance so far in their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, which they currently trail 3-1 despite being the higher seed.
“JB’s rotations suck, the Cavs bench sucks, Donovan Mitchell sucks,” – @TheRealTRizzo is FED up with the Cavs. pic.twitter.com/ALSux46lPn
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) April 24, 2023
“The Cavs are better than that. They’re better than the Knicks,” said Rizzo on Monday. “They needed a frickin’ diaper in New York Friday and Sunday. They pooped down their leg. Boy, do you miss LeBron now or what?”
After getting some heat on social media over those comments, Rizzo fired back at critics Tuesday by doubling down on his opinion and where it comes from.
“Let me explain something to everybody, ’cause I ain’t on social media and responding to everybody that had a problem with me lighting up the Cavs yesterday,” said Rizzo. “You know what my job is? My job is to speak for you. You, the fan. I don’t get paid by any of these teams. I’m underpaid by this company, but I don’t get paid by any of these teams. I say what I feel. I say what I see, and I’m sorry if you don’t like it.”
https://twitter.com/ESPNCleveland/status/1650854010029522944
Rizzo then shared that it was relayed to him that members of the Cavaliers organization were unhappy with his comments about the team’s performance, to which the 61-year-old radio host shared his lack of concern over their opinions.
“Apparently, people in the Cavs organization didn’t like me lighting up the Cavs. Let me reiterate what I said. J.B. [Bickerstaff’s] rotation sucked. The bench sucked. And Donovan Mitchell sucked. Did I make it clear enough for everybody out there?
“There’s no apologies over here. What the hell do you think I do? Do you know who the hell I am? I’m here for you. None of these teams — I love ’em, I keep ’em alive, I keep the passion going. They should at least respect that. Some of ’em get it, some of ’em don’t. Fine. Doesn’t matter to me. I ain’t on social media defending myself. I don’t have to defend myself. I have a four-hour show every day.”
The Cavaliers play for their playoff lives on Wednesday in Game 5 against the Knicks. If they lose that one, Cavs front office folks might want to skip Thursday’s edition of The Really Big Show.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.